I slightly rushed the ending, and it took me over a week to post this. Why am I like this?

Again and again he enters the room.

Rotations, in and out. Just like before, but worse. Better and worse. Better in that the world was bright, worse in that his brother barely breathed. His stupid older brother who he loved. Why them? He'd asked that so, so much.

He sat by his bedside, wallowing in his thoughts. Just like always.

His brother had taken the longest of the rest of them to recover. As was expected… but he hated it. He almost wished more pain on himself just to see his protector again.

Scratch that, he'd willingly take his brother's pain and more to have him be okay.

He was Larry Koopa, dammit, the younger blue brother and Magikoopa apprentice. He'd been taught so much in so little time, the title all but forced onto him. He'd taken it all in as much stride as he could, and he'd stepped up and helped save the fucking world.

But he couldn't save his brother.

He'd tried, he'd tried so many things. He'd even tried going back to the Shadow's Realm just to see if his beloved sibling was there too. Nothing had worked. The kingdom was well and truly safe, and his brother was dying.

…he wasn't dead, thankfully. But he wasn't improving, either.

He hated it all. He hated it all so fucking much. After everything, he definitely understood Roy a lot better now. He hadn't touched his wand ever since he gave up, not wanting to use any magic again. It just wasn't worth it.

Until a shift in the bed next to him jolted him to attention.

That couldn't be an accident. Nothing had happened before, and they'd been there for months. No, his big brother had moved. He hadn't woken up, but he was improving after all!

No, no, he couldn't let blind hope take over. Not again.

He'd let it envelop him back at Peach's Castle, back before they'd truly unlocked their magic. He thought it was all over, but then it wasn't. He couldn't let that happen again. Just because he saw the damn thing die doesn't mean it wouldn't come back. He'd been taught better than that.

Another twitch, one he saw this time.

Oh, he couldn't stop the tendrils of emotion creeping up. Morton had told him he'd moved during his last watch, but nothing had happened. But seeing his brother in anything but the lifeless heap he'd found- no, they weren't there. He was alive. They'd made it. His brother was alive and moving.

But then, then his heart dropped beneath his stomach. His eyes widened, and he dared not breathe.

For Ludwig von Koopa, his dear older brother, slowly opened his eyes.

It had been months. Months of agonizingly waiting, knowing nothing. Months of recovery, laying together in silence. Months of helping the kingdom heal from the waves of terror the Shadow had unleashed. Months of picking up all the pieces but this one, days revolving around his health.

All those months seemed minuscule now. All because of those endless navy eyes that stared up at him.

Larry took his brother's hand, trying not to clench around his rising hope. They merely stared at one another, neither making a move to take action. He couldn't, not yet. Not when there was apprehension in his brother's eyes, tension in his gaze. He moved to hug him, but a fleeting touch stopped him. Ludwig had attempted to squeeze his hand, finally wrapping uncooperative fingers around Larry's.

"All… are you… all safe?"

He saw his eyes unfocus, and his heart threatened to break. In the ancient Koopa tongue, he'd whispered his question. Not daring to trust anything else. Before a few months ago, it hadn't been, every outsider unsafe. Even in solidarity, nothing was certain. It broke his heart to know just how engraved the instincts of battle were inside his brother. They probably were in him, too, but he didn't dwell on that.

Ludwig needed him.

"Yeah, we're all okay, thanks to you. Everyone's safe."

He purposely spoke in the common tongue, tone so soft and unusually calm. There was a pause, neither daring to move. Larry's eyes locked onto his brother's as they focused once more, navy and sky mixing in the depths of an ocean's emotion.

Until Ludwig shuddered, head lolling to the side, his eyes flickering shut. Larry whined, unbidden, but forced everything else down. He clutched his brother's hand, trembling. Not again, he couldn't lose his brother again-

"Mm… 'n you, too… proud of you…"

One last urge, one swell of consciousness, but his brother couldn't keep hold. He stared as his brother's body shivered, then went limp. He'd lost the battle to stay awake, but had given one last hurrah as he went.

If Wendy came to her next shift to find Larry red-eyed, nothing was said. And he definitely didn't break down while recounting all he'd witnessed in the mere three hours of the early afternoon.

••••

There was nowhere to go but uphill.

That was one motto his immediate older brother had stubbornly stuck by. That among many other inspirational quotes were spouted on the daily, and while he loved his brother, he ached with the amount of positivity he spewed.

Once upon a time, Larry also loved to hang onto happiness as long as possible.

Now, though, things weren't the same. But despite his faint pessimism, things were looking up. The kingdom no longer looked like an abandoned mining project, Koopas aimlessly roamed the halls once more, and there was less and less that had to be done.

Recovery was possible, and most of them were doing just fine considering everything.

Emphasis on most. His big brother, ever the martyr, had definitely screwed himself over very, very thoroughly. His older brother, his protector, was having a hard time healing at all, so many complications rearing their ugly heads.

Ludwig had only awaken a couple of times, all for a minute at most. He just didn't have the energy, and Larry couldn't lend him his own. This had to come from his brother and his brother alone. Despite all that had gone wrong, he trusted Kamek in that. As much as he'd wanted to spell his brother into health, it just wasn't possible. Ludwig was too weak right now.

So color him surprised when, during one of his shifts, his brother stirred.

It was a nightmare. The Shadow, even after it had fallen, still had its grip on them. Larry could only tremble as his brother twitched in his sleep, face betraying his discomfort. He tried gently rousing him, speaking sweet nothings, everything he could think of. But Ludwig was in deep, trapped in a restless slumber.

Until he awoke.

Larry startled as his brother gasped, eyes popping open and body flinching. The elder whipped in an attempt to sit up, breaths uneven as he fell back down, and his brother's gaze darted to him.

"Ludwig! Hey, everything's alright, you're okay-"

All he got was a strained wheeze, but it cut him off well enough. He reached for his brother, desperate to hold him, tell him over and over how things were alright, but his brother shook him off.

"The others, where are they-"

Ludwig's voice gave out, already hoarse from disuse, and he keened. His brother was panicking, they were alone, what should he do-

Right, Ludwig wanted the others. Best to get them here and deal with his own feelings later. He pressed the panic button on his phone, grateful for Iggy's insight all those years ago. Some, if not all, would be there soon. His brother would be okay. He'd be okay.

He just had to take a page out of Morton's book and keep repeating that.

The self-proclaimed twins burst into the room as one, startling the duo. He could cry in relief; he already didn't have to do this alone! He could probably get away with getting a little emotional himself. Yeah, that sounded great. Why was he trained to handle this stuff again?

His brother gasped and wheezed before him, and all he could do was match him. Too many memories, too similar, things were going to go wrong. Suddenly he agreed with Ludwig's wish for everyone to gather. He couldn't do this alone, how had he ever thought otherwise?

Iggy's hands on him, he flinched away. Red hot embarrassment flooded him. This was his brother. One very prone to reacting badly when things went south. Like right now. And he'd gone and screwed up when Iggy had just been trying to help-

Tap, tap.

Oh, there it came again. He tried not to react, he really did. His gaze darted to his genius brother's, seeing his exaggerated breaths. Oh, that was for him, wasn't it? He vaguely saw Lemmy helping Ludwig in the background of his blurring vision. He should probably at least try to breathe. That was probably a good idea. Probably. He didn't know yet. Was it safe?

Stars above. This had all stemmed from Ludwig's panic, he was overreacting. He should calm down, explain what happened, tell Iggy to get the others because that's how he'd calm down.

Wendy slammed into the room, rings and wand at the ready before she took in the scene before her.

Ludwig flinched back, head hitting the backboard of the bed. He groaned, whimpered, then covered his mouth all within the span of a second. His covered mouth masked his quick breaths, smothering his attempts to breathe, breathe, please.

Larry shuddered. He remembered when his brother first woke up in Peach's Castle, when he'd foolishly thought everything would be fine. How he'd panicked then, inconsolable until every single sibling was within his sight. Deja vu washed over him, his body trembled, he felt Iggy squeeze his hands. A silent reassurance of the present and his presence.

"Inhale, two, three, four, five. Hold, two, three…"

Lemmy, coaching their big brother through his attack, seemingly unfazed by the fright in his eyes. He'd done this many times before. Larry blinked. It might help him to follow along, make sure his breaths didn't fall too deep to the wayside. He had to be the one to explain once everyone got here.

Morton and Roy, slamming the door with enough force to ricochet. Both sweaty as if they'd ran all the way there or had just come from a workout. Probably both, knowing them.

It didn't help, it sent danger danger danger to both him and his older brother. All progress lost, he dropped to the ground. He barely saw the glint of remorse, guilt, self-loathing in Roy's eyes as he approached. He trembled and shook, gasped and shuddered. He couldn't breathe, he wasn't safe. Danger was coming, right?

Oh, the burden he was placing on his family, making them be the ones to make things right. All he was doing was choking on his own saliva and shaking out of his shell, cowering on the floor of Kamek's old study as his siblings bustled around him.

Roy's arms, snaking around him. He heard Iggy sigh in relief as he sagged in his brother's strong grip. He heard Lemmy's renewed coaching, Morton's additional guiding along with it. Aimed at both of them. He was stealing attention away from his big brother, that's what he was doing.

"Nuh-uh, none of that, mister. I know that look. It's perfectly fine for you to react like this."

The certainty in Roy's words made him smile, made him squeeze in return.

"Oh, wait, not that I don't care that you're hurting or that I'd wish this on you, that's not what I meant- oh, goddamnit."

Iggy laughed, an unhinged, happy cackling sound. Roy grumbled, and Larry thought that was the most normal thing that had happened since before.

"Glad to know my idiotic ranting helped you breathe, though. Good job, champ."

Oh. Oh. Yeah, he was indeed right, and didn't the praise make him all warm and fuzzy inside? He'd always loved that nickname…

"Good job, Lud, you're doing so well!"

Lemmy's ever-engaged voice ensnared their attention, and he turned to see his small older brother perched practically on Ludwig's shoulder. His oldest brother was clearly focusing everything he had on evening his breaths, air still catching and getting stuck at times. In a silently glance of agreement, the three of them came into sight, smiling as their older brother visibly relaxed once they came into view.

Larry had to admit, having his siblings around calmed him, too, so he understood completely. With each passing moment, he could feel his nerves calm and his shakes slowly die down. They all gathered around the fancied bed, watching as their big brother raised a weak, shaky hand.

Everyone put a hand into the mix, quickly falling into routine. It was something they did often; before and after missions, during group events, before a karting tournament…

It was an assurance of togetherness, a question of preparation, an urge to step up. No matter the circumstance, they'd all made their little routine very important in their lives. It made sure everyone was okay and ready to move forward, a silent check-in originally coined to avoid alerting Bowser of their fears. By raising his hand, one finger held out, Ludwig had started their little ritual once more.

Larry, shaken up though he was, managed to place his hand right on top of his oldest brother's. The seven all smiled at one another, calmed by the familiar comfort. But a gasp from Ludwig had them breaking, all turning to him as his hand fell back.

"Junior. Where's Junior?"

Oh. Oh. He'd completely forgotten. So had the others, by the way they all slowly lost their calm look. Until recently, when the world fell apart, he hadn't ever been included in their rituals. Junior hadn't spent much time with them, but he'd certainly stepped up. At Peach's Castle, they'd made sure he knew he was included. Their little brother, his only younger brother, had looked so genuinely star-stricken that they'd all made sure he was involved in the kingdom's recovery. He'd complained about the hard work, but it was obvious he enjoyed being a part of the family.

Hence why his absence was jarring.

They'd given him the panic button, installing it quickly just before the battle in the Mushroom Kingdom. So it wasn't impossible that it malfunctioned; he remembered the chaotic shouting as he begged over the call to repeat the plan, the-

Nope. He'd just calmed down. No need to remember again. Not right now.

With shaky hands, Larry pulled out his phone. With all eyes on him, he dialed his brother's number. He refused to cower under the collective gaze on him. He wouldn't.

"Whatcha need?"

Straight to the point, that was their jam. Maybe with some of their siblings he'd ask more mundane things, but that wasn't how they worked. Old habits really did die hard for him, it seemed.

"Lud's awake. He wants to see you."

Instead of the gasp he was expecting, he was merely met with silence. The moments ticked on tensely, the rest of the siblings gathering close. He held the phone closer to his big brother, who had begun to shiver anew.

"W-why me? I… I have other things to do."

It was so obviously a lie, even Morton picked up on it. But it still stung; hadn't they moved past this? Ludwig apparently had the same thoughts, as he shrunk back, his breath uneven and his body trembling. He looked nothing like he usually did, his elegance stripped away. Larry hated this. He hated the war, the mantle the two of them had to bear, everything. The only thing free from his hate was his family. He'd drop dead before he hated them one bit, and he knew they all felt the same. So why in Star's name was Junior being like this? Suddenly, Roy growled.

"Oh, cut it out. Don't try that excuse with me, I know you ain't busy. Don't avoid our brother."

Of course. Now that it was spoken aloud, it made a lot of sense. He shifted, trying to push away the guilt of not realizing. He wasn't to blame. His family had made sure he knew that. There really wasn't a reason to avoid them, but he understood. Sometimes he felt like avoiding everyone too.

(He made himself do that so he wouldn't be seen as clingy. He couldn't bear when they were away for too long.)

A sigh escaped from the other end of the phone, but no words came. Part of him was surprised he didn't immediately deny it, but he brushed that off. They'd all made progress, and lots of it. It was what was needed. Wendy rolled her eyes as Junior stayed silent, snatching the phone from Larry's hands. He flinched, but didn't protest. He wasn't built for this, not anymore.

"He's not gonna calm down until all of us are here. You're part of that, so get your lazy butt over here before I sic Kammy on you for ignoring your family and the mental health of your brother."

She paused, glanced at him with a hard look, then shifted.

"…brothers, actually. So hurry up already before I lose my patience."

Even though it wasn't directed at him, he shuddered. Wendy could be terrifying when she was mad. He chanced a look at Ludwig, softening at the tense guilt he found there. He hopped up onto the bed from his place beside it, wrapping an arm around his big brother. It felt nice.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming. Gee whiz, you don't have to yell."

Before his dear older sister could actually begin yelling at their youngest sibling, Junior hung up the phone. Wendy stood, mouth agape and staring at the phone, before her entire tense aura melted away. She handed his phone back with a defeated sigh, then took her place sitting on the edge of the bed. Morton frowned, coming closer to the group.

"He'll never get it ingrained, will he? Obvious though they may be, facades still hold meaning."

That was a lesson Ludwig and Lemmy had to learn in earlier years, back when things were normal and their family wasn't. Opposites of the same coin, they learned well from each other.

A slam echoed from the hallway, one that had everyone jumping. Many wands were drawn before they remembered once more. One by one, they lowered their defenses as a familiar groan floated through the doorway.

"Sorry guys. Miscalculated that turn."

Bowser Junior stumbled in, holding his face. Roy smirked humorously, Iggy grinned triumphantly, and Ludwig smiled in relief. Larry realized it was another snippet of before, but one changed with their new personalities. The eldest held his hand out shakily, his eyes barely open, but he knew his brother wouldn't dare fall asleep until he was sure Junior was really here. He'd seen him, he'd heard him, but he had to feel him to be sure.

Immediately, his unstable hand was encompassed by Junior's steady ones, a fierce look in the younger's eyes. The act was down, he couldn't pretend right now. Not with his brother, who was still hurt. Ludwig visibly relaxed, weakly squeezing as he breathed . Larry smiled at the display, holding his own hand aloft in their signal.

"Let's try that again, shall we?"

Confused? Good. The context is buried deep in the depths of my mind's storylines, so good luck finding it!